By: Craig Peters

A good person to ask for a story like this is Andrew DePaola, who appeared in his 80^th game with Minnesota and 145^th in the NFL last week. Did he know what game today would be for his locker room neighbor?

Is it 200?

"That's unfathomable," DePaola said following his question to answer a question. "I remember when I was coming into the league and hearing, 'So and so is playing his 100^th game,' and thinking, 'Wow, 100 games, that's cool.' But hearing a guy is playing his 200^th, that says a lot, and to still be playing at the level he's playing at."

Has he said a word about it?

What do you think?

No, not Smith's style, but he did oblige an interview request.

"That's a lot of games. I didn't set out with a number of games in mind, but it's a lot of football," Smith said. "It just means I've been around for a while and am pretty durable."

He is the sixth player to appear in at least 200 regular-season games for the Vikings, joining an exclusive club featuring Jim Marshall (270 from 1961-79), Mick Tingelhoff (240 from 1962-78), Fred Cox (210 from 1963-77), Carl Eller (209 from 1964-78) and Scott Studwell (201 from 1977-90).

"If you make it to 200, that puts you in an exclusive club," Eller said recently, proud to welcome Smith to the unique group that hasn't welcomed a new player during the era of modern free agency.

"Those are legends, so to be in any category with those guys is pretty surreal," Smith said. "Good company."

He'd know, having learned Vikings history through the years, beginning with his top-secret selection by Minnesota. The team traded back into the late first round in 2012 after Leslie Frazier's coaching staff had worked with him at the Senior Bowl.

Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025 and Vikings Ring of Honor defensive end Jared Allen started all 96 games he played for Minnesota (and 181 of the 187 he played in the NFL). Allen, who overlapped with Smith in 2012-13, said the safety is "a monster of a player" and relayed a story from April 26, 2012.

"[Former Vikings assistant GM and current Broncos GM] George Paton called me to let me know we were moving back up in the first round to draft you out of Notre Dame," Allen said. "I hadn't heard of you at the time, and he told me you were going to be an insanely good player. The reason we were having the conversation is, I was trying to get him to draft [Morris] Claiborne out of LSU over [Matt] Kalil from USC because I wanted more defensive players, so he called to let me know he got a defensive back to help me get to the quarterback faster.

"I tell you what, buddy, you couldn't have been a better pick, you couldn't have been a better teammate," Allen said. "It's been so much fun to watch your career."

Smith added chapters to the legacy that has featured high points and heartaches, remaining relentless.

Authentic appreciation

Studwell, the Ring of Honor linebacker and franchise leader in tackles, was with Minnesota's personnel department when the Vikings drafted Smith, who has the record for tackles by a defensive back.

"Chad Greenway was here when I got here and kind of talked about always chasing his tackles," Smith recalled. "That was a daily reminder, and Stud' was around, so I got to know him and talk to him."

Smith has proudly worn No. 22, the same number worn by Pro Football Hall of Fame and Vikings Ring of Honor safety Paul Krause, who broke the NFL record for career interceptions with a likely untouchable mark of 81 after recording three in 1979. Krause appeared in 172 games for Minnesota and 54 for Washington to total 226.

Krause recorded 53 interceptions for the most by a Viking in regular-season games. Bobby Bryant (51) and Ed Sharockman (40) rank second and third. Smith is tied for fourth with safety Joey Browner at 37 and holds the franchise record with four returned for touchdowns.

Smith has an authentic appreciation for Vikings of previous generations. Vintage Krause and Studwell jerseys that Smith purchased hang in his locker at Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center.

"I'm honored and humbled by it," Studwell said when told about his No. 55 jersey. "We haven't ever really sat down and had that kind of conversation, so it's from afar, I guess, but I've always admired what he's done for this organization, what he's done for this football team and for his career. You never know whether he's a first-round pick or a seventh-round pick.

"He's everything as advertised. He's been a great player for us," added Studwell, looking out at U.S. Bank Stadium from the press box. "He's going to be up in this Ring of Honor for sure and is going to be remembered as one of the greatest players we've ever had here, and that's a tribute to him."

How'd he do it?

The ideal scenario when a team uses a first-round pick is that the player becomes a cornerstone of the franchise for roughly a decade. Teams have fifth-year options to extend rookie deals. If everything goes well, an extension to remain with the team follows.

Smith has prioritized remaining a Viking at every turn — not to become the sixth person to play 200 with the franchise or tie Ron Yary last week at 199 but because he is a Viking through and through.

"He's been such a smart, instinctive, attentive, physical [player]. He's got great anticipation," Studwell recalled. "He wasn't the biggest guy coming out, he wasn't the fastest guy coming out, but he knew how to play football and, obviously, he's been one of the better picks that we made when we were in charge of the draft, to play as long as he has at such a high level. He's a potential Hall of Famer, but he's humble.

"He's talented, he's very intelligent. He's carried over what he did in college to our level," Studwell added. "He's a worker, a student of the game, everything that you wanted in a free safety or a strong safety. He's got great ball skills, intuition, great vision. He's physical. Not a real emotional player. He's more of a lead-by-example guy than he is a real vocal guy, but he's been a great pick and a great player for us. He's been everything that we asked for."

To fully appreciate 200 games, it's helpful to gain perspective on the gratitude players have for nearing or passing 100.

DePaola credited Smith's "approach and preparation" for helping him reach the milestone.

"He's very — you can say a very smart player, but he just understands it," DePaola elaborated. "He understands what offenses are trying to do, so I think that plays a huge part in why he's been able to get to that number."

For DePaola, whose own resilience showed during his football journey, said his own key has been the clichéd "one-day-at-a-time."

"Get to number one, get to number two. Take care of your body, prepare and enjoy the game because just getting to play in one game is a blessing, and to play in as many as I have, you can't take it for granted."

Just getting to that first one was personally bigger than 100 for DePaola "because I had been cut a few times. You see the finish line but can't actually get there. To finally get there, it was cool."

Receiver Adam Thielen, who also is in the veteran-laden area of the locker room that includes Smith and DePaola and just played his 144^th game as a Viking and 171^st overall pointed to Smith's consistency.

"He's been a guy who has been available, been healthy for the most part and consistent," Thielen said. "It's hard to sustain success in this league, and as soon as you don't have success, it's hard to stay in this league. Not a lot of guys do it, so if you see guys do it, you appreciate it."

Neither Thielen, nor Eric Wilson, a fellow over-achieving teammate who went undrafted but joined Minnesota in 2017, knew off-hand how many games they've played.

Wilson is up to 134 in his career and 73 as a Viking. He hit 100 while with Green Bay in 2023.

"Really? I didn't even know that," Wilson said. "Jeez. It's an honor. It kind of flew by in a way, but at the same time, I take pride in being present and enjoying the moment. It's an honor to have that many moments in this league.

"Harry's a baller, first and foremost, taking care of his body," Wilson said. "He loves the game, man."

Veteran defensive linemen Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen, who joined the Vikings this offseason, didn't spend much time processing their 100-game milestones.

Hargrave, who played his 139th last week, hit 100 with Philadelphia in 2022 and teamed with Brandon Graham, who reached No. 206 by the end of last season, retired after helping the Eagles win the Super Bowl and just returned for his 2025 debut on Monday.

"I really don't remember what I was thinking. I was happy because it's rare to make it that far," Hargrave said.

Ever think about getting to 200?

"Nawh, I can't lie. We'll see, but nawh, I haven't thought about 200," Hargrave's Southern drawl crept in. He said it's "very impressive" for Smith to reach the mark.

"A lot of things have got to go right. One, you've got to be blessed and lucky at the same time. It shows you took care of your body and how blessed you are because that's a lot of games in the NFL," Hargrave said. "I talk to him all the time for tips on how he's done it this long because 200 is crazy."

Jonathan Allen played in No. 118 last week and hit 100 with Washington in 2023.

"I don't know what my 100^th game was, because whenever you accomplish something, all you can focus on is the next thing," he said. "I can almost guarantee unless somebody brought it up to him that Harrison isn't thinking about it. You just don't have time to focus on that if you want to be successful. You just take it day by day. I have no idea how long I've played. You just take it day by day and appreciate it when your time comes.

"I think the older you get, you just take it year by year," said the 30-year-old. "If I'm blessed enough by God to see 200, that would be incredible."

Already in his seventh season but still only 27, Byron Murphy, Jr., is scheduled to play his 100^th game when Minnesota hosts Washington.

"That's actually crazy because, I think it was IP (Ivan Pace, Jr.), he was looking at how many plays I had in my career. I've been blessed and want that number to be a lot more," Murphy said. "Year 7, and I came in at 20 years old, so a lot of stuff has been moving fast, but just happy I'm here.

"I don't even want to know what number Harry will be at," Murphy added. "If I'm almost to 100, Harry's got to be like, I don't even know."

Greenway, who played all 156 career games for Minnesota, and former Vikings safety Andrew Sendejo (99 of 136 NFL games with Minnesota) joined the "Friday Football Feast" radio program on KFAN 100.3-FM to discuss their teammate.

"He's always thinking. He is a smart dude. When you can play that fast and physical and be that smart, you're going to play for a long time," Greenway said. "He's playing chess and you're playing checkers.

"He was really good physically, so now he's aged, and he's going to give himself that little bit of a half-step, a little bit of adjustment forward, a slight movement to say, 'I know what you're going to do,' because I'm prepared."

Sendejo added, "I don't think anyone plays for that long unless they genuinely love football."

Smith and Sendejo formed a safety combo that helped the 2017 Vikings rank No. 1 in the NFL in yards allowed and points against.

"We saw a lot of things the same, defensively, on the field and off the field. That's what makes a good safety duo; you are kind of sharing the same brain at times," Sendejo said. "When things happen on the field, you're so far away that you can't always communicate, but you've been in the meetings all week together. You know that you've gone through all the route progression, different ways they can attack you.

"You can kind of just look at each other and telepathically communicate," Sendejo added. "So it was great to have him back there, obviously a trustworthy guy. You know he's going to make the play and show up when he needs to. It brings a lot of security and confidence when you're out there on the field with him."

Smith and the Vikings (4-5) weren't where the team wanted to be through nine games this season, particularly on the heels of winning 14 games in 2024.

Today's game is Smith's 103^rd regular-season game in front of the home crowd, a run that began at the Metrodome in 2012 and included two seasons of outdoor home games before Minnesota moved into U.S. Bank Stadium. He's played for three head coaches (Frazier, Mike Zimmer and Kevin O'Connell) and been a reliable constant through different schemes.

"For Harrison to play as long as he has, it shows the football character that he has, it shows the love of the game that he has, the natural instincts that he has, but not everybody does," Studwell said. "He's been a model citizen here, he's been a great teammate, he's been a great player."

O'Connell and Smith have a recurring Friday morning coffee talk that has allowed them to discuss on-field and off-field happenings that began during the 2024 season. Both coincidentally born in Knoxville, Tennessee, they are basically contemporaries who are just four years apart in age. Today is the 55^th game O'Connell has coached with Smith in action.

"I've made no secret about Harrison and where he ranks in the 'all-time Kevin favorites' of players I've gotten the blessed opportunity to coach," O'Connell said Friday. "I told him this morning that he was at the top of the list, but I've probably said that to a few other players over the years. We reflected on that a little bit.

"I just think he's such a special person, player, leader. If they were all like Harrison Smith, we would be very fortunate as fans and coaches of football because of what he's meant to this organization," O'Connell said. "Such a unique player. I've been so fortunate to coach him for four years, and I hope to get to coach him for longer."